Ray Elementary School students teamed with chefs to hold end of year farmers market
Chefs and students teamed up to wrap up the school year by hosting a farmers market on Friday at a South Side elementary school.
Throughout the year, a group of chefs with the nonprofit Igniting Minds worked weekly with students from Ray Elementary School at 5631 S. Kimbar Ave. in Hyde Park. The program was also held at Chicago Jesuit Academy in the Austin neighborhood.
The event culminated a school year filled with hands-on culinary education and cultural exchange, which taught students about farm-to-table practices and Indigenous food traditions.
"This market was a powerful expression of everything the students have learned," Executive Director of Igniting Minds Latrice McArthur said. "They weren't just cooking, they were leading, innovating, and sharing their stories with the community."
Visitors at the market had the chance to try traditional Venezuelan arepas, served alongside a student-designed sweet potato and BBQ fusion arepa, bison meatballs, and rhubarb cookies.
The final event brought those lessons to life by transforming the school grounds into a community market.
Proceeds from the market will go toward building a school garden for future student learning.
The program was made possible through a collaborative effort that included Pilot Light Chefs, The Evolved Network, Chef Darnell Reed, Chef Sarah Stenger, Open Lands, and Lurie Children's Hospital.
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